Psychiatrist

a medical doctor who has completed a M.D. with specialized training in assessment and treating mental disorders

Psychologist

practices psychotherapy and holds doctorate degree with specialization clinical psychology and has extensive training in therapy, the assessment of psychological disorders and research.

Social Worker

has a master’s degree and extensive training in psychotherapy. They work in schools, community organizations and private practice.

Psychotherapy

Interaction between a therapist and someone suffering from a psychological problem, with the goal of providing support or relief from the problem

Eclectic Psychotherapy

Treatment that draws on techniques from different forms of therapy, depending on the client and the problem

Psychodynamic

Explore childhood events and encourage individuals to use this understanding to develop insight into their psychological problems

Free Association

client relaxes and reports whatever comes to mind; contain clues to unconscious conflicts

Dream Analysis

interpreting hidden meaning in
client’s dreams (Symbolic representation of impulses/conflicts)

Analysis of Resistance

Reluctance to cooperate with treatment for fear of confronting unpleasant unconscious material

Transference

Event that occurs in psychoanalysis when the analyst begins to assume a major significance in the client’s life, and the client reacts to the analyst based on unconscious childhood fantasies, impulses or conflicts.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Form of psychotherapy that focuses on helping clients improve current relationships

Humanistic Therapy

Assume that human nature is generally positive and emphasize the natural tendency to strive for personal improvement.

Person-centered Therapy

Assumes that all individuals have a tendency toward growth and this growth can be facilitated by acceptance.

Carl Rogers

1902-1987; Field: humanistic; Contributions: founded person-centered therapy, theory that emphasizes the unique quality of humans especially their freedom and potential for personal growth, unconditional positive regard, fully functioning person

Congruence

Agreement, harmony, or correspondence

Empathy

the ability to understand and share the feelings of another

Unconditional Positive Regard

according to Rogers, an attitude of total acceptance toward another person

Behavior Therapy

a type of therapy that assumes that disordered behavior is learned and that symptom relief is achieved through changing overt maladaptive and dysfunctional behaviors into more constructive behaviors

Token Economy

Involves giving clients tokens for desired behavior which can be later
traded for rewards

Exposure therapy (Desensitization)

Involves confronting an emotion arousing stimulus directly and repeatedly, ultimately leading to a decrease in the emotional response

Cognitive Therapy

Involves helping a client identify and
correct any distorted thinking about self, others, or the world

Cognitive Restructuring

Therapeutic approach that teaches clients to question the automatic beliefs, assumptions, and predictions that often lead to negative thinking with more realistic and positive beliefs

Mindfulness Meditation

Teaches an individual to be fully present in each moment; to be aware of his or her thoughts, feelings, and sensations; and to detect symptoms before they become a problem

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Blend of cognitive and behavioral therapeutic strategies

Family Therapy

a psychotherapy involving family
members in a dysfunctional family

Couples Therapy

when a married, or unmarried couple
is seen together in therapy to work on problems usually arising within the relationship.

Group Therapy

is therapy in which multiple participants
(who often do not know one another at the outset) work on their individual problems in a group atmosphere.

Self-Help Groups

involve discussion or Internet chat groups that focus on a particular disorder or difficult life experience and are often run by peers who have struggled with the same issues.

Psychopharmacology

Study of drug effects on psychological states and symptoms

Research (Cognitive vs Medication in treating mood and anxiety disorder)

For anxiety disorders, cognitive-behavioral therapy, antidepressant medications and anti-anxiety medications have all been shown to be helpful. Research generally shows that psychotherapy is more effective than medications, and that adding medications does not significantly improve outcomes from psychotherapy alone

Natural Improvement

Tendency of symptoms to return to their mean or average level

Nonspecific Treatment Effect

when the patient gets better over time simply by coming to therapy, even though it doesn't matter what actually happens at the therapy session